1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transceiver for receiving radio signals. More specifically, this invention relates to a transceiver with the additional function of storing frequency data detected by scanning the known weather channel frequencies for good radio signals.
2. Detailed Description of the Related Art
There are ten radio stations in the United States of America dedicated solely to broadcasting weather information on a nationwide scale. The frequencies of the respective stations WX1 to WX10 are 162.550 MHz, 162.400 MHz, 162.475 MHz, 162.425 MHz, 162.450 MHz, 162.500 MHz, 162.525 MHz, 162.650 MHz, 162.775 MHz, and 163.275 MHz, respectively. Typically, two or three weather stations can be received in any region of the country.
There are a number of radio transceivers that comprise the prior art. However, only a few transceivers have any special feature directed to receiving weather information. However, these transceivers suffer from one or more of the following shortcomings:
One problem with the prior art is that in order to be received, weather channels have to be manually selected. To select a channel, it is necessary to display the channel frequency and use a switching device to manually select the channel. This process can become cumbersome, especially when the person selecting the channels is a trucker who is also driving. Moreover, it is often difficult to manually determine which of the weather channel frequencies is the best signal.
Another problematic prior art method utilizes a memory in which the aforementioned ten weather channels are pre-stored. In this method, all the weather channel frequencies are pre-scanned, and the frequencies of the good weather channel signals are then stored in memory, where the means for selectively setting the channel is based on a program in combination with a CPU. However, in such means, a display device for displaying the frequency of a stored channel signal and a number of memories corresponding to the number of channels are required to set the channel. In addition, a memory such as a ROM, etc., which is not erased even if the power supply is turned off, is needed. Consequently, the operation is complicated, bulky in size, and expensive to build.
Although the miniaturization of the modern transceiver has improved the size and cost of the transceiver, the operation for receiving weather broadcast is still too complicated. For example, frequency data of each of the weather broadcast stations is typically stored in advance, requiring a separate memory for selecting the frequency (hereinafter referred to as channel).
Another shortfall of the prior art occurs because the good weather station signals change with the movement of the portable transceiver. For this reason, every time when the transceiver is moved, the weather channel must be re-selected. This problem particularly impacts ambulatory people, such as truckers, who travel across the country.
The present invention provides a solution to the problems shortfalls of the prior art. More specifically, a scan for a weather channel is performed by simply turning a channel switch, and a scan result is memorized so that a weather channel can be received.
The present invention provides a transceiver for receiving radio communications as well as weather channel broadcasts, comprising: a means for selecting a plurality of radio channels and two weather channels; and channel setting means for performing a channel change when one or two weather channels are selected by the channel selecting means, and for receiving weather channels when weather channel frequencies are temporarily stored.
The transceiver of the present invention also comprises means for searching for a weather channel if no weather channel frequency data is temporarily stored in memory, and for temporarily storing detected weather channel frequency data. A weather channel frequency temporarily stored is received when the weather channels are selected by the channel selecting means.
Moreover, the transceiver of the present invention comprises a weather channel changing means. At the time of selecting the weather channels and changing the channel to the other one or two weather broadcast channels, if a PTT switch for transmission is depressed, the data changing means starts searching for a new weather broadcast channel, and temporarily stores a detected new weather broadcast channel in the memory.
Further, according to the transceiver of the present invention, the weather broadcast channel selecting means comprises a rotary switch and means for selecting a communication channel or a broadcast channel by switching the rotary switch.